Freighter.



c. R. STEiNEB.

FREIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. I915.

LE75A83Q Patented Mar. H, 1916.

7" Mi esse Mi 4 snares rare FBEIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Application filed April 9, 1915. Serial No. 20,362.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES R. STEINER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Island City, New York, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in achieve this result is the ,proper combination of inland freight-barges of uniform size and construction and ocean-going ferryboats, which can carry a number of these barges besides their own load, after they are placed on the same and properly seated and fixed by means of reliable and promptly releasable couplings. For greatest ease in the transfer, the barges are to be floated in and out of the ocean-going vessel (this meaning hereafter also Great Lakes-going vessel). The types of vessels required for this traffic-combination are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is the'front-view and Fig. 2 the side-view of an inland-going vessel not generally fit for Great Lakes (hereafter called barges). Fig. 3 is the mid'cross-section of a sea-going ferry-boat. Fig. 4, in somewhat smaller scale, is the plan-section at waterline of the ferry-boat, loaded with barges. Fig. 5 isa detail, illustrating in vertical section a portion of a verticalcoupling. Fig.

6 is another detail, illustrating in horizontal section a portion of a horizontal coupling, connected with the barge.

Similar letters in these views refer to similar parts.

A represents the outer and B the inner bottom of the shiphull, C the outer and D the inner side wall of the same, E a strong, watertight deck, forming a support for barges.

F, G, H indicate a number of upper decks, L, L smokestacks, M, M ventilation-conduits, N a barge, O, 0 two longitudinal trusses-extending usually from upper deck to bottom and from end to end of vessel and built watertight between deck E and next deck above.

Q indicates a steering-gear,

.by pipes with pumps.

R a vertical coupling-device in front, S one of a pair of vertical coupling-devices inside the side walls; T, T are barge seats, fixed on deck of the ocean-vessel, U, U the front walls of the same, usually permanently fixed; V, V are the rear end walls of the ship, constructed as Watertight gates.

W, indicate horizontal couplings.

(1 indicates a vertical hatch wall or reinforcement of the barge-bottom; b is a caslng at the barge bOttOm, wherein the coupllng-bar (Z can be moved, so as to fill the hole without projecting.

0 represents a portion of the watertight coupling-box, fixed on deck E.

c represents a casting with accurate conical surface, a part of coupling W.

f, f are strong ribs or braces, run- 7 ning from deck E to the next deckv above. g and k mdicate'upper and lower watertight interspaces between these ribs.

The barges N are in general of usual constructlon, but should have strength to carry full load in the dry space on three prearranged supporting places of the bottom, near couplings R, S, S.- They mayhave arrange-' ments for haulage only or they may carry their own power. They are su plied with vertical coupling-arrangements S, S, for holding them down to the cushions T on the ocean-voyage and with two or more horizontal couplings W, which, by means of concave, (conical or Wedge-shaped) surfaces on the barge, corresponding to convex surfaces on the ship and the central coupling-bars, provide reslstance against longitudinal shiftmg of the barge. The coupling-arrangements on the barges must be in accordance with those on the mainship as regards distance and sizes, but barges may vary in construction to suit their purposes.

The construction of the couplings has no features of novelty except as claimed; a type similar in principle, to that described and claimed by me in U. S. Patent 1,084,975, issued Jan. 2014 on sectional seagoing vessels is preferred. The space on the mainvessel between the two bottoms is divided in many watertight compartments, connected By filling some of the spaces with water the ship can be trimmed and the draft regulated. When stability-conditions permit the lateral spaces 9 and It will, preferably, be used for the same purpose, especially when entering a seaport in order to transfer barges. Draft regulation by filling and emptying these upper instead of the bottom-compartments will save power for pumping. This Is only pos.

sible by losing some of the yessels moment of stability; but this loss is of no consequence in port.

The upperpart of the hull, the decks E and the trusses O, O formf-two approxi- ..mately prismatic spaces, which are watertight and serve as barge-chambers. Their front-end walls, sometimes formed by the ship hull are usually immovable; however;

. trusses-O, 0 must be relied upon for longi- .tudinal strength. The number of longitudinal chambers is not essentialto this invention; there may be one, or two, as shown, or more. In all cases these chambers can be set dry and may be used for ordinary cargo, when sufficiently fastened. These arrangements on an ocean ferry-boat, as proposed, will allow to enter the seaport with draft adjusted as needed for transfer of barges and with the latter floating in their chambers up to the waterline, so that, after open- .ing the gates the barges can immediately be hauled ofl and are ready to begin their inland voyage or lighterage trip. The ferryboat also, if not otherwise held up, may resume its voyage to another seaport immediately after hauling in other barges, if any,

and, while making for the high sea, the couplings may be tightened and the water removed from the barge-chambers. For a long voyage, when stability allows it, all compartments may be freed from water ballast, which may have been necessary for the transfer. During the transfer the floating barges must clear the cushions by a few inches. By lowering the water level the barges can be nearly seated and in tightening the couplings they will be pulled down some, thus slightly increasing the draft. For prompt transfer this is preferred; however the vertical couplings may be omitted by providing cushions T snugly fitting the barge-form laterally and, by changing the ship-draft and emptying the chamber in order to achieve a prompt bearing of the barges on supports.

The ferry boat may be permanently united in a single body or it may consist of detachable sections in accordance with said U. S. Patent 1,084,975. Various easily removable spacers, wedges, etc., for the accurate and easy location of the barges, tosuit coupling-arrangements are not a novel feature although most useful. Haulage-ropes and devices, on shore and on the ferry boat will assist in the transfer, which may be either with fixed ship or with fixed barges. All these necessary devices, besides the arrangements for motive power onthe ferry boat constitute none of the features of novelty claimed.

I ani aware of several patents for improvements in floating in and out and for carrying over shallow or deep Water small vessels in large ones, such, for instance as British Patent No. 2416-1879, by B. T. B. Mills, which seems to be for inland navigation. None of them seems to have found practical application for combined oversea and inland traffic and none of them discloses such means, for promptly and safely seating, coupling' and releasing canal barges and lighterage barges on ferry boats, which I firmly believe of the greatest importance for safe and prompt service in deep water.

I am aware, that the elimination of time and cost for breaking bulk has been the subject of another patent (Robt. Gordon, Brit. Pat. 13592, Oct. l41884) Gordons proposition, however differs from mine greatly in method and in vessels. l/Vhile I propose to haul the barges from ferry boats almost directly on their inland route, to traverse which each barge is suitable, Gordons procedure requires the disconnection from the ocean vessel of all cargo containers and, the connection-of the same with an inland going special craft, so as to form a sectional inland-going vessel. Gordons sea-going vessel is a sectional vessel; the distance between end-sections is variable, while in my case a non-sectional vessel may be used. While Gordons ocean ship is not seaworthy without the cargo-containers, which can make inland-voyages, in my proposition the ship remains always seaworthy whether loaded with barges or Without any of them. Hence, for the purpose of this invention, as set forth, I do not claim as a feature of novelty either sectional inland-going or sectional sea-going vessels. The novelty and usefulness relates neither to warnor to repairarrangements as in other inventions, but to combined trafiic alone and Therefore I claim:

1. For combined inland. and overseawaterborne freight trafiic nonsectional, shallow-water freight barges of such standard size and construction as to suit prearranged chambers of sea-going ferry boats with sea-gates, said barges provided with special reinforcements, as will be necessary for them to support their full load in the dry space, each barge on three selected support ng surfaces, which are provided on cush1ons,"fixed on the chamber-bottom of 3. On a sea or Great Lakes-going ferryboat for combined overseaand inland-navigation longitudinal barge-chambers with seagates, said chambers extending below and above normal sea-level and having seating cushions to amply clear barge-bottoms and a number of perfectly uniting couplingdevices at prearranged distances, corresponding to those of standard barges; said chambers being either with or without a roof or deck, as set forth.

CHARLES R. STEINER.

Witnesses:

HUGH MCKEVITT, JOHN K. LUNDY. 

